Microsoft is working on these new Windows 11 features hidden in test builds
Windows watchers have spotted some new hidden features in Windows 11 suggesting that Microsoft may be bringing elements such as stickers to personalize the desktop and hide the taskbar when running Windows on a tablet.
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The new features were uncovered by avid Windows watcher Albacore, who shared his findings on Twitter. The new features in the test versions may or may not make it to any Windows 11 release. Microsoft last week announced it would test out new features in Windows Insider Dev Channel OS builds that won't necessarily make it into a particular Windows release.
SEE: Windows 11: Here's how to get Microsoft's free operating system update
Per Albacore, Windows 11 may let users choose stickers for the wallpaper that can be configured via a new Sticker Editor app to persist across wallpaper changes. The feature is available in the Personalization section of Settings, where there's a new option to "Add stickers".
System admins will be able to disable these using a policy called Education\AllowStickers. The single monitor and Fill fit limitations are quite strange, hopefully just an early implementation quirk.
— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) February 5, 2022
Microsoft is also testing a Windows 10-like tablet mode for Windows 11, which allows users to configure the OS to "automatically hide the taskbar when using your device as a tablet."
There is no tablet mode in Windows 11, so a dedicated tablet mode should make things easier for those with a Surface Go or Pro when using them after detaching the keyboard. At the moment, Windows 11 just spreads out the taskbar to make it easier to touch.
There are some environment-focussed tweaks in the works for Windows 11 under Sustainability in System settings, according to Albacore. An "Eco recommendation" toggle can improve energy consumption and offers tips on how to recycle the device. Also, there's a row of leaf icons that indicate a device's Eco Score.
Microsoft may also give users more options to schedule focus times with Focus Assist, Microsoft's answer to counter distractions, such as when a user is working on a document. It could soon be renamed 'Focus'. Users can currently control timed focus sessions through the Clock app, but soon users might be able to schedule a focus time through Outlook.
As above, the newly discovered features might not make it through to a mainstream Windows release. However, if they do make the cut to the Windows Insiders Beta or Release Preview, they will likely appear in a future mainstream release.